With the continued expansion of the Internet and the advent of cloud computing, there is an increased demand for storage devices. Large data centers are storing ever-increasing volumes of data. As such, demand for storage devices, such as hard drives or solid-state storage is increasing. However, for manufacturers of such storage devices, large volume users can represent increased risk and liability associated with warranty issues.
Operating a large data center is costly. Temperature control utilizes air cooling fans that consume power, generate noise, and require long term reliability. Vibration control utilizes rigid structural supports to prevent crosstalk between drives, as well as interaction with moving parts such as cooling fans. Shock control utilizes special mounting configurations and rack installation procedures, plus hardware such as rubber bumpers. Power supplies should to be clean and well centered at the target (5V/12V) with low ripple and no large transient spikes. When data centers encounter cost pressures, the temptation arises to limit cost, particularly, by reducing the use of the costly supporting gear described above. A storage device manufacturer, whose reputation depends on the reliability of a product running in an environment that is controlled by customers, interests collide when these cost issues lead to cost cutting by customers. In addition, the usage of a storage device in a large data center can be more demanding than usage of a storage device by a conventional residential or office user. The extensive use of a storage device by the data center can lead to early failure of the storage device.
On the other hand, portable mobile devices may provide worse environmental conditions than large data centers. Specific issues include overheating from inadequate airflow cooling caused by overcrowding in limited available space and shock exposures due to extensive handling that is expected in portable mobile devices. Elevated exposure to power-save features in drives may also have reliability consequences. As such, a poor design or use of cheap parts by laptop manufacturers, for example, can cause problems for the storage device. Each of these customer controlled issues can raise warranty issues and liabilities to be addressed by the manufacturer.
As such, manufacturers are seeking more flexibility in addressing warranty issues and storage device performance, particularly in demanding environments, such as large data centers.